Freedom (Blackstone Series Book 3)

by J. L. Drake

  The wind whipped Catalina’s hair around as we escorted her from the truck to the helicopter. I stood next to her and lifted her by the waist to help her inside. She awkwardly shimmied to a seat Keith pointed to. She looked at the five-point harness with confusion.

  “Here.” I helped her get settled, and as I finished, she placed her hands over mine.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, and my heart ached for her. She had no idea what we were able to accomplish, thanks to her. I would make sure she knew the full extent of it when we were alone, but this wasn’t the time or place.

  “Get me out of here.” Mark laughed as he took a seat next to her and smiled widely. “It’s never a dull day on the Blackstone team!”

  She returned the smile, and I could tell she was still worried about what kind of trouble she’d be in when we got home. I knew she must be devastated over the death of her mother and all that had happened these past days.

  I moved to the other side of her and strapped myself in, then I placed my hand on her leg for reassurance as the helicopter took off. Reaching above her, I drew the earphones over her head and showed her how to put them on so she could hear us.

  Although seconds later, I regretted it.

  “I’m starving.” Mark patted down his pockets. “Where the hell is my…”

  “Oh, shit, this is good.” John bit into one of Mark’s beloved power bars.

  “Son of a ripe shit, when the hell did you take that?”

  “When the second blast knocked you down.” John took a bigger bite.

  “Wait,” Mark tried to undo his harness, “I was down, and you robbed me? I feel so… used.”

  “You were fine.”

  “My pants were undone too, John.” He snickered. “What else did you do while I was unconscious?”

  Catalina covered her mouth as she laughed. Yeah, the guys were something else when we were in the chopper. However, lately, my head always went to…I leaned over and switched her channel to a private one. I unbuckled, despite Cole’s confused look, and moved to kneel in front of her.

  “Since we met, every time I flew, I thought of you.” My voice cracked over the radio. “It was usually during the time I should have been mentally preparing for our next mission, but I couldn’t. We may come from different worlds, Catalina, but that doesn’t matter because we are both in this one together.”

  A single tear slipped down her cheek, leaving a small trail in the dust on her skin.

  “My life isn’t easy, I know that, but you make it so much better just by being in it. I don’t want to go on another mission without knowing you’ll be mine. I need to know you will be there when I come home.” I looked around the cabin and spotted a loose piece of parachute cord. I used my knife to cut a small piece off and held it up in lieu of the ring. “Catalina Mendez, will you please marry me?”

  She nodded, her eyes glistening with tears, then she seemed to realize she didn’t answer me verbally. “Yes! Yes, of course I will!”

  I slid the makeshift ring over her finger and reached to hold her face and kissed her hard.

  “I’m so glad she said yes,” Mark chirped over our private line. “That man scares me when he’s pissed.”

  I removed one hand from Catalina’s face and granted him the finger, which sent the rest of the crew into a fit of laughter.

  “I love you.” She kissed me again. “Thank you for saving me from my past, from myself, from everything.”

  “I will always save you.” My heart nearly burst apart with joy.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Catalina

  “Wait, am I dreaming?” Rail smirked as he pushed off his bike and met me at the door of the restaurant. He waved me ahead to go inside.

  “Nice to see you again too.” I spotted Tess at the bar and wove my way through the sea of people. I noticed John let me have some space, and I was thankful for that. It was strange having someone follow you around wherever you went, but I understood it was just for a little while. At least that’s what they told me.

  “Hey, girl!” Tess wrapped me in a big hug and glanced at my handsome escort. “Welcome to your new life.”

  “It’s not so bad.” I shrugged, and then she spotted my ring, and I held up my hand for her to see.

  “Shit, girl, that’s beautiful.”

  It really was, and I couldn’t help constantly looking at it. It meant so much to me to see it there.

  “Thanks.” I glanced around and wondered how many bikers were in the bar at that moment. To say I was nervous about a gunfight was an understatement. Frank had insisted I visit the house psychologist before the wedding, and I would, just not until after this visit.

  “Okay, are you ready?”

  “Lead the way.”

  I followed her outside then across the street to a garage that looked like a 1950s barber shop complete with pinups, booze, and a strong odor of pot.

  “Hey, Mud, this is Catalina. She’s hitching up with Mike in a few weeks.”

  He moved the fat joint to the corner of his mouth and shook my hand while the other held a needle.

  “She needs a little help fixing something.”

  “Yeah?” He squinted at me while I turned around, and my backless shirt gave him a clear view of my angel. “Damn, that’s some tattoo.”

  “Do you know it?” I faced him and brushed my hair out of my face.

  “The fallen angel,” he stated before he stood and opened a beer and handed it to me. “I’ve seen a few, but never like yours. What do you want me to do to it? I kind of hate to mess with something that beautiful.”

  I looked over at John. He was on the phone, but he must have felt my gaze because he turned to look at me.

  “She’s not a prisoner anymore.” I faced him. “I want her to be free.”

  His weathered cheeks crinkled when he smiled. “I think I could do that.”

  Tess didn’t leave my side for three hours. We chatted a lot, and even Trigger came in to take a look. I was sure Mike had asked him to check in, but nonetheless, I was pleased.

  “Mud, she doesn’t pay,” Trigger grunted when he was about to leave.

  “That’s very kind, Trigger, but I can’t allow that.”

  He moved his intense green eyes in my direction, and I swallowed hard.

  Why is he so scary?

  “My oldest friend finally found someone he loves enough to marry, so you’re family now.”

  “But…”

  “Consider it a wedding present.”

  “Don’t argue, Angel,” Mud advised. “You won’t win.”

  I shifted to get the uncomfortable feeling to leave, but I couldn’t, so instead, I thanked him, and he kissed Tess and left.

  Tess smiled at me when she caught me staring at the two of them.

  “How is someone that intense?”

  “Meh,” Tess laughed, “you get used to it. Plus, it’s a huge perk in bed.”

  I bet.

  “So, when do you arrive in Asheville?”

  Her face fell into a sad smile. “Thank you for the invite, but we can’t come. You know, right? Just like how Mike couldn’t come to ours.”

  “What? Why?”

  She held her hand up. “There’s the Army’s line with tolerance,” she drew a line in the air, “and there’s Devil’s Reach way over here.”

  “The Army has a right to say who we’re friends with?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t take it personally. We get to see Mike and the guys a lot, just not at functions that might bring in the bigwigs.”

  That was crap, but I wasn’t going to make a big deal about it. Rules were rules, and I understood that.

  “Then we’ll have to have a party to celebrate later.”

  “I think that can be arranged.” She handed me an envelope. “Could you give this to Mike at the wedding?”

  “Of course.”

  Another thirty went by, and I blocked out the pain. Well, to a dull roar, anyway.

  The flight back home
was less than comfortable. Poor John tried to help, but he was very careful about how often he touched me. I felt bad but just sucked up the pain and hunkered down the rest of the flight.

  “Will Mike be there when I get home?”

  “Should be.” John checked his phone on the plane’s Wi-Fi. “He had a lot to do in Washington, but I know he was trying to, so…”

  “That’s nice.” I loved that he was willing to move mountains to allow us to be together. I just wished I could do more. The plane was quiet and dark, other than John’s computer, and he tapped away as he answered a pile of emails.

  I grew sleepy and pulled out my phone and tapped the audio icon. John plucked it from my hand with a laugh. “Let me guess, it was Tess who recommended this?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Did she tell you about it?”

  “No, she just said it was really good and that I might learn a little bit more about the Army from it.”

  John gave a big booming laugh, which made a few people jump. Not caring, he handed it back to me. “I should be taping this.”

  I fumbled to turn on my Beats headphones. “What am I missing?”

  He shook his head. “Just listen to it.”

  Chapter two had me shooting John a puzzled look, and the corners of his mouth lifted, but he didn’t look over. However, in chapter five, I made John jump when my hand clamped down on his arm.

  “What?” I nearly shouted. “But how?”

  “The author made a compelling argument on why she thought she should write their story.”

  “But how?”

  “Cole can’t say no to Savannah,” he simply explained. “She loved the idea of their story being in print.”

  “That’s crazy!” I beamed at how romantic it was. “Okay, bye!” I tossed the headphones back on so I could block out the world and caught John smirking at his screen.

  It was Charlotte who met us at the airport, not Mike. As disappointed as I was, I understood that Mike needed to jump through hoops in order for our marriage to happen.

  “I have to meet Mark. Are you good?”

  “I am. Thanks, John, truly. That was fun.”

  “I’m glad. I’ll see you both soon.”

  Charlotte took me back to her parents’ place where Mike and I had been staying since they moved me out of my basement apartment last week. The best moment for me was when Jeff saw the U-Haul then Mike and Keith. He backed down very quickly, and I even got my security deposit back.

  After a quick dinner, I trudged my way to the bed, stripped down to nothing, and crawled into Mike’s scent. I had never traveled so much in one year, and my body wasn’t used to it.

  Cold fingertips drew me from my sleep in the dead of night. I grinned into my pillow as they moved to the bandages.

  “Can I see?” he whispered, and I nodded. Light filled the room as he gently peeled back the tape and gauze to see the changes.

  “Wow,” his warm breath sent a shiver across my skin, “she’s so vibrant, so beautiful.”

  It was true. Mud had used a shimmer of thin white strokes which really helped to pop her wings and face. He’d added tips to her feathers, so they weren’t clipped anymore, and all along one of her wings were tiny letters which formed the words, freedom comes in many forms; love was mine.

  I knew the moment he caught their meaning, because his fingertips stilled, and he cleared his throat. “He did a wonderful job,” I whispered and waited for him to speak.

  “He did,” I could barely hear him, “and I’m honored that you did this.” His fingers skimmed lightly below the words.

  “It’s the truth.” I tried to fight the sleep that wanted to pull me under. “Will you come to bed?”

  I felt the mattress dip, and he carefully covered my back with the cool sheet so I wouldn’t get cold.

  “I missed you.” He kissed my cheek. “Did you have a good trip?”

  I nodded.

  “Good.”

  A stretch of silence told me I could give myself back to sleep, so I did.

  ***

  The next three weeks were a whirlwind. Besides my work and my social life, our wedding was really coming together. Mike had to travel a few times, but I was all right with that. I barely knew if I was coming or going.

  “Okay.” Charlotte handed her mother a glass of champagne. “Okay, we’re ready, let’s see the dress.”

  With a glance in the mirror, I smoothed my hands down the non-traditional wedding dress, very pleased with my choice.

  “What do you think?” I whispered to my mother who, I knew, was there.

  The girl had called it an A-line or princess V-neck, sweep-brush train, sleeveless, lace chiffon wedding dress. I had to laugh at that. In reality, it was a lace V-neck with a short dress under and a long skirt over top. The long skirt had two slits up the sides all the way to my hips so that when you walked you could see the lace dress underneath. It was incredibly pretty and sexy all rolled into one. Soft pink heels peeked out, and I knew I wanted to wear my hair down and in curls.

  I opened the door and stepped out to the two women who both sat speechless. Mrs. Irons—sorry, Jackie—started to cry.

  “You look like an angel.” She sniffed, and Charlotte nodded in agreement.

  “I think I might need a necklace.” I turned to the mirror to see.

  “I know Mike has something in mind, dear.”

  I found her in the mirror. “Really?”

  “Yes, so I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  Okay, wow. I couldn’t help but beam at the thought.

  After the dress was handed over to Keith, who promised not to wrinkle it and insisted on being our driver for the day, we enjoyed a nice lunch, and, as much as I wanted to drag my feet, I knew it was time to go.

  I had my head glued to my phone, reassuring Linda that I would definitely have the ad ready in time for our next big client when I got a strange vibe. Where were we?

  “Wait,” I turned around in my seat then back to Keith, “this isn’t the way to the house.”

  “I know.”

  “Do I not have to go?” I grinned at him, but he just shook his head. “Come on, Keith, you know I know people. I can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams.”

  “That’s messed up.” He tried not to laugh.

  “Meh, if you can’t be dark with the bad stuff, when can you be?”

  He laughed again as he tapped his earpiece. “Hey, man, we’re five minutes away.” He paused. “Well, she did try to bribe me not to take her.” He eyed me playfully. “She’s got a great dark side. I see the draw.” He winked at me in the mirror. “Yeah, okay. Bye.”

  “Mike?”

  “Daniel.”

  “Seriously, Keith, that’s not funny! I still don’t think he was pleased I called him.”

  “Oh, trust me, he was, and yes, it was Mike.”

  “Gawd,” I hit his arm, “you’re so mean.”

  He laughed harder then suddenly took a turn onto a dirt road.

  “Where are w…” I trailed off when we came to a checkpoint, and he was waved through.

  “It’s a little cliché, isn’t it?”

  “What?” He seemed amused by me.

  “Taking a cartel daughter deep into the woods,” I joked darkly. “You’re either going to whack me or torture me for info.”

  “Wow,” he hit the wheel and laughed, “you spend entirely too much time with Charlotte.”

  “I really do,” I muttered with a sigh.

  “And whack?” He found me in the mirror as we approached another checkpoint. “Who’d say that? We don’t whack.”

  “That’s what the mob calls it.”

  “Last I checked, Cat, we were not the mob.”

  “That’s what they all say, until one day they bring the girl to the woods,” I did air quotes, “just to chat, and then whack! She’s being buried in a barrel, in some remote area, and the only witness is a crow.”

  “Remind me to make notes on this session.” He belly
laughed.

  Another twenty minutes, another checkpoint and we came to a clearing, and my jaw almost dropped on the ground.

  “Welcome to Dusk, Catalina.” Keith put the truck in park. “This is our second safe house.”

  “Holy shit.” I stepped out.

  The place was huge—no, gigantic—but before I got a chance to take it all in, an older-looking man in a tailored suit and a rather skinny tie approached me and offered a hand.

  “Hello, Catalina. I’m Dr. Roberts. Welcome to Dusk. I’m sure you have many questions, but let’s start with getting you inside.”

  Keith gave me a nod to tell me it was all right.

  “This is the living room.” The doc pointed to the massive, rustic-modern room. The giant windows looked over a lake. I also could see a pool and an outdoor gym. Wow.

  “Somes?” a voice squeaked from behind me, and the cutest little boy smiled up at me and held out a cookie. “You somes?”

  I bent down on my knees to get eye level with him and took a piece of the chocolate chip cookie and held it up.

  “Is this for me?” He nodded. “Well, that’s very kind of you.” I popped it in my mouth and made a yummy noise. “Did you make it?”

  “Savs.” He muttered something I couldn’t understand.

  “I see. What’s your name, cutie?”

  “Gandon.” He spat cookie out as he said it.

  “Brandon, your name is B-B-Brandon,” a pretty girl said behind him. “Hi. I’m Lexie,” she offered a hand, “and this is Brandon. Keith’s son.”

  “Oh!” I had a lot to learn. “Nice to meet you both.”

  “You too.” She looked at the doctor. “Sorry. I hope he didn’t interrupt.”

  “Not in the least,” Dr. Roberts said softly. He held himself with such poise. His smile was warm and immediately put you at ease. He seemed to be a truly nice person.

  “Say goodbye, B.” She bent down and scooped up the little guy, making an airplane noise as she did, and he laughed. As she left the room with him, she muttered something about him needing a bath.

  “You’re good with kids,” Doc Roberts said. “Did you grow up with a lot of little ones?”